Surge in LPG imports drives down cooking gas prices

NIGERIAN households are finally feeling relief in the cooking gas market as a sharp rise in supply (from imports) is translating directly into lower prices at depots and retail outlets.

Fresh data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) shows that national LPG availability jumped strongly in January 2026, easing the scarcity that drove prices to crisis levels late last year. The effect is already visible at the pumps, with retail prices now gravitating toward the N1,000-per-kilogram mark in major cities.

More gas, softer prices

According to NMDPRA’s January 2026 fact sheet, daily LPG supply climbed to 6,300 metric tonnes, up from 5,200 MT/day in December and far above the 4,000 MT/day recorded at the start of 2025. This represents a 21 percent month-on-month increase and nearly doubles the volumes seen during the worst supply shortages of September 2025.

The surge has flooded depots and improved stock levels nationwide, reversing the tight market conditions that had pushed prices upward. Retailers are now adjusting their prices downward as competition intensifies and supplies become more predictable, BusinessDay reported.

READ ALSO: Seplat ANOH project delivers first gas, restarts four wells

Market checks in Lagos and Abuja last week show that 1 kg of cooking gas sold between N1,000 and N1,050 as against September/October 2025 when prices in some areas spiked to between N2,000 and N3,500 per kg.

Imports drive the rebound

The most significant driver of the supply turnaround is a spike in imports. After contributing little for most of 2025, imported LPG surged to 2.6,000 MT/day in January, accounting for more than 41 percent of total national supply and exceeding December’s 1.5, 000 MT/day.

Analysts say currency stabilisation has helped unlock this inflow. With the naira trading around N1,350 to the dollar in mid-February, importers can price cargoes with greater confidence, reducing volatility and allowing depots to lower wholesale rates.

Domestic production holds steady

Local output has also remained resilient. Refineries and gas processing plants delivered about 3,700 MT/day in January, sustaining the gains recorded in December. Together with imports, this combination has created a more competitive market that is finally easing pressure on consumers.

Industry consultants say the mix of stable local production and rising imports is restoring balance to the LPG market, forcing price corrections that reflect improved availability rather than scarcity.

A sharp contrast to 2025

The current relief stands in stark contrast to October 2025, when supply disruptions from a PENGASSAN strike and maintenance at the Bonny Island gas facility slashed availability and sent prices soaring. At the time, the average cost of refilling a 12.5kg cylinder jumped to nearly N20,000, pushing millions of households back to charcoal and firewood.

Today’s trend suggests that crisis may have marked a turning point, prompting both regulators and marketers to expand supply channels and reduce over-reliance on a few production hubs.

“It is a big relief to buy gas at N1,000/N1,050 today at gas stations. I remember how we fought last year to buy it at N2,200 at major stations last September. When prices fall, households like us benefits most and heave a sigh of relief,” said a Lagos-based civil servant, Mr Taiwo Oguntande.

READ ALSO: Dangote sells gas at N760/kg, middlemen inflate prices above N1000 – Source

An Abuja-based trader, Ms Nnenna Okonkwo, told Economy Post that the low price of gas has offered a very big relif to her and her family. “Last year, my children did not go to school for 2 days because I was at a gas station standing on a queue. Today, that is a different ball game as prices are not just low but accessbility is now easy, as you can go buy gas fom any gas station without facing any hurdle or queue.”

The rift between Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) pushed up cooking gas prices across Nigeria in September 2025, leaving many households struggling to afford the essential commodity.